How Kurt Found Out
by emeraldgirl503
Summary: Blaine was so careful in planning a lovely surprise proposal... so how did Kurt find out? Set in 5x01.
1. Chapter 1

Blaine had everything prepared. Against all odds, he had united rival glee clubs to come help him propose to the love of his life. Dalton had allowed him to invade their school day after day as he rehearsed and timed and choreographed the whole thing. Burt had agreed to drive Kurt over. Rachel and Santana had arrived from New York earlier today, and they had just finished their final rehearsal before tomorrow's big proposal. There was only one thing left to do.

Blaine found Rachel chatting excitedly with Santana and Mercedes. He waited patiently while their conversation wound down before pulling Rachel aside. "Can I ask you to do me a favor?" he said.

"Flying here from New York to help with your big romantic proposal wasn't enough of a favor?" Rachel teased.

Blaine laughed. "You know you would have been here even if I hadn't asked you."

"That may be true," Rachel replied with a grin. "So what's the favor?"

"I need you to tell Kurt," Blaine answered.

Rachel's brows drew together in confusion. "You do realize that surprise proposals generally involve an element of surprise, right?"

"Ha, ha," Blaine intoned sarcastically. "I'm serious. I need you to tell him."

"Why?" Rachel asked.

"Does it matter why?"

"Yes, it does. I'm not going to ruin what may be the most romantic gesture ever performed without a good explanation," Rachel informed him.

"Even if the person performing the gesture asks you to?" Blaine pleaded.

"Especially not then. You're biased. You need an impartial third party to determine if your reasoning makes sense," she stated matter-of-factly, as if this was a well-known rule in surprise proposal planning.

Blaine gave up. There was no point arguing with Rachel. Worst case scenario, if she didn't agree, he would ask Mercedes. Or maybe Santana. Hell, he'd get Sam to do it if he had to. Kurt had to know.

"I need you to tell him because I don't want him to be blind-sided." Rachel didn't seem convinced, so Blaine continued, "Look, we just got back together a few days ago. I'm sure about this. I know Kurt is the one for me. But maybe he's not so sure. I have hurt him in the past. Maybe he still needs more time to trust me again. Maybe he wants to take it slowly. I don't want him to feel pressured by all the people. I don't want him saying yes just because he feels bad saying no. I want him to know what he's getting into so he can avoid it completely if he really wants."

Rachel had gone from completely expressionless to on the verge of tears. She reached out and wrapped him in a hug. "Blaine Anderson, you are the sweetest guy I have ever met. Okay, I'll tell Kurt."

Blaine squeezed her tight before letting her go. "Thanks, Rachel. You're the best."

"I know," she said smugly as she turned to leave.

As she walked down the hallway, she pulled her phone out of her pocket. The sound of her voice carried through the quiet corridor. "Kurt! You will never believe what I'm about to tell you, but I can't keep it a secret anymore. Promise you won't tell Blaine I told you."

Blaine smiled as he watched her walk out. After she had left, he turned to look at the now-empty halls of Dalton. His eyes lingered on the staircase. If all went according to plan, at this time tomorrow, he'd be standing in this exact spot, sliding a ring onto his new fiancé's finger. He ran his hand over the end of the railing. "Wish me luck," he whispered. Then, with one final glance at the beautiful halls of his old school, he headed for home, to spend one final night in nervous anticipation.


	2. Chapter 2

[**Author note: I didn't initially intend for this to be a multi-chapter story, but I found myself being unable to let this concept go. I'm not sure how much further I'll take this, but for now, I'll keep going as the inspiration strikes me. Thanks for all the positive comments, and I hope you enjoy the additional chapter(s)!**]

"Wait, what? I don't think I heard you right – it sounded like you said Blaine was going to propose," Kurt said into the phone. He had been moving around the room packing for his return trip to New York tomorrow when Rachel called. He couldn't have heard correctly. Probably his agony over not being able to find the second sock from his favorite pair had clouded his hearing.

"That's exactly what I said," Rachel replied. "Blaine is planning on proposing to you tomorrow afternoon. It's supposed to be a surprise, but I just couldn't wait anymore…"

Rachel kept talking, but Kurt was too distracted to catch any of the words she was saying. Propose? Blaine was going to propose? They had only been back together for a few days. They weren't ready to get married! They were so young. Blaine was still in high school. What if Blaine proposed, but then felt trapped into coming to New York because now they were engaged, so he had to follow Kurt, and then he was stuck somewhere he didn't want to be, so he started to resent Kurt, and he started to become bitter and then they turned into one of those couples that stayed together just because they didn't know how to be apart, and…

"KURT!" a voice shouted through the phone.

Rachel. Kurt had completely forgotten he was on the phone with Rachel. He wondered how long she had been talking before she realized he wasn't listening.

"Sorry, I got distracted," Kurt said.

"I know. I could hear you thinking," Rachel replied.

"Sorry," Kurt repeated. "It's just a little overwhelming. I mean… Blaine and I just got back together."

"Yes, but you were barely apart. You still talked all the time, and we all know you both were still completely in love with each other."

"Okay, but we couldn't even make a relationship work when I was in New York and he was still here. The school year's not over yet. We're still going to be apart. I don't even know if we'll survive the next few months, never mind the rest of our lives," Kurt argued.

Rachel's voice softened. "I know you were hurt by Blaine, but you've both grown so much since you moved to New York. You've spent enough time together, and enough time apart, to know this is the real thing."

"Yes, but how often does the 'real thing' last?" Kurt protested. "We're too young to rush into this. We should take more time. Be sure. Statistically, high school loves don't last."

Rachel sighed. "Kurt, you and Blaine have always defied statistics. For example, most people in relationships don't manage to stay friends after cheating. You even forgave him! That's definitely against all odds. You two are the most mature couple I've ever met. If anyone has a shot of making it work, it's the two of you." She paused to let Kurt absorb her words before continuing. "You and Blaine are soulmates, Kurt. You've always known that. You've both casually brought up weddings and marriages in the context of your relationship, while most couples our age are obsessing over whether or not they'll still be together by prom. You're not other couples, Kurt. You're not like everyone else. You are Kurt and Blaine. You aren't a statistic."

Kurt remained silent while he mused over her words. It wasn't that he doubted that Blaine was his soulmate. He just wasn't sure that was enough to get them through. After all, it hadn't been enough the first time they had tried having the long-distance relationship. Not that he thought Blaine was going to cheat again… he trusted Blaine. It might not make sense, but he did. His bigger fear was that they would just get tired of each other. That they'd both keep trying for the sake of trying, but that neither of them would be happy. Getting engaged wouldn't magically make their relationship easy to maintain.

"You still there?" Rachel asked.

"Yeah. Just thinking," Kurt replied.

"I know it seems like a big step, Kurt, but it's really just one question: do you want to spend the rest of your life with Blaine? I think you already know the answer to that, so what's the point in waiting another few years before making it official?" Rachel prodded gently.

The sound of an incoming text message distracted Kurt. He pulled the phone away from his ear and saw Blaine's name on the screen. "I gotta go," he said into the phone. "Blaine's texting me. We were supposed to go out tonight, you know, because it's supposed to be my last night in town, so I should probably…"

Rachel laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'm not important." Then she sobered. "Just think about it, Kurt. And know I'll stand by you and love you no matter what happens tomorrow."

Kurt smiled. Say what you will about Rachel Berry, but she was the best friend anyone could ask for. "Thanks, Rachel. You're the best."

He could practically hear her self-satisfied grin through the phone. "I never get tired of hearing that."

They said their goodbyes and hung up, and Kurt checked his text. _Parents went out of town at the last minute, so we can have the house to ourselves tonight. Wanna skip Breadsticks and just come over? _Blaine wrote, with a cute little winking face.

Did he? Knowing what he knew now about tomorrow, could he just casually go out with Blaine and pretend nothing was happening? Blaine had always been too good at reading him. He'd know something was up. What if he asked? Kurt would have to lie.

But Blaine would also find it weird if he said no. After all, as far as Kurt was supposed to know, this was supposed to be their last night together before Kurt went back. Blaine would be suspicious if Kurt blew that off.

He had to go.

He couldn't go.

He wanted to go.

But he shouldn't.

Oh, who was he kidding?

_Be there in 20? _he texted back.

When Blaine's only response was a smile, Kurt sighed and flopped back on the bed. He gave himself 60 seconds to stare at the ceiling and try to compose his thoughts before he went to his mirror to straighten out his hair. It was going to be an interesting night.


	3. Chapter 3

Blaine pulled Kurt closer and sighed with pleasure as he trailed his hand down Kurt's back. They'd already brought each other to orgasm (twice) and were now comfortably cuddling, lying on their sides, their faces inches apart, their arms locked around each other.

Now that his mind was no longer occupied by sex, Kurt seemed to have mentally drifted off again. Blaine didn't blame him. He was just glad Kurt seemed more relaxed now. When he'd first shown up, he'd been so anxious, Blaine had been afraid he would suddenly turn around and run out of the house. While Kurt had tried to play it cool and act naturally, Blaine hadn't called him out on how adorably he was failing. And it _had_ been a complete failure, albeit the most adorable failure ever.

Luckily, Blaine knew all of Kurt's weaknesses. After they'd enjoyed a quick dinner Kurt had somehow managed to throw together using random ingredients in Blaine's kitchen, Blaine had pulled him close and kissed him in that one magical spot on the side of his neck that always seemed to make Kurt melt. Things had quickly escalated, starting with a pretty heavy makeout session against the kitchen counter, followed by a stumble to the couch to take the edge off, before they'd finally managed to make it upstairs to Blaine's room for a very satisfying round two.

Blaine leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Kurt's shoulder. "How late can you stay?"

"Hmm?" Kurt blinked as if being taken out of a trance.

Blaine grinned. "We've been back together for less than a week, and you're already bored of me?" he teased.

"No, of course not," Kurt said. "I was just thinking."

Blaine propped himself up on an elbow and trailed a finger along Kurt's side. "About how sexy your boyfriend is?"

That got him a smile. "More like how lucky my boyfriend is to have such an amazingly hot man like me in his life," Kurt shot back.

"Mm, no disagreement here," Blaine said, leaning down to kiss Kurt on the mouth. "Good thing I'm so irresistible."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Please. You're the one who can't control himself around me."

"Hm. Who was it who attacked me in the back of a car at Mr. Schue's wedding?"

Kurt blushed slightly, and Blaine laughed and kissed him again. "Not that I'm complaining," he added.

"That's because I'm the best lover you've ever had," Kurt replied without thinking. Blaine's face immediately fell, and he started to draw back. Kurt mentally slapped himself. Just because he had forgiven Blaine didn't mean Blaine had forgiven himself.

Kurt tightened his arms around Blaine and slid one leg over Blaine's to prevent him from escaping. "Hey, it was a joke. I wasn't trying to make you feel bad."

Blaine still wouldn't make eye contact. "I know, but I do feel bad. You should be the only lover I've ever had."

Kurt slid one hand under Blaine's chin and tugged until their eyes met. "When I told you I forgave you, I meant it. I honestly wasn't even thinking of that. I was just trying to be a smartass. It was a poorly executed joke. That's all." Blaine didn't seem convinced, so Kurt pulled him even closer until their bodies were flush against one another. "Blaine, let it go. I don't want to spend the rest of our lives convincing you I've forgiven you."

Blaine's eyebrows raised at that. "The rest of our lives, huh?" he repeated, his voice husky. "I like the sound of that."

The expression of panic on Kurt's face was so comical, Blaine almost laughed out loud and spoiled the mood. "Blaine, I…" Kurt began to explain. Blaine cut him off by leaning forward and placing a series of hot, open-mouthed kisses to the sensitive skin on Kurt's neck. "Blaine…" Kurt said, his voice a strained mix of protest and encouragement.

"Relax, Kurt," Blaine murmured against Kurt's skin. "I know it's just a figure of speech. No pressure."

No pressure? The man was going to propose tomorrow, but there was no pressure? Kurt wanted to protest, to ask questions, to say _something_, but Blaine's tongue was doing some magical things along Kurt's skin, so it was a little hard to form words.

Kurt didn't have to say words. Blaine could feel his hesitation, his confusion, the subtle anxious clenching of the muscles under Blaine's lips. He pulled back a little and grinned in satisfaction at the dazed look of pleasure in Kurt's eyes. Blaine slid a hand up Kurt's back. Fluttering his fingers in the hair at the nape of Kurt's neck, he waited while Kurt's eyes came back into focus. "I mean it, Kurt. I know what I want. I have no doubts. I know we're young, but I don't need more time. But it's okay if you do. It's okay if you're not ready to commit to forever. I'll love you either way. I'll love you no matter what happens."

Kurt tried to keep his brow from furrowing in confusion, but he didn't think he succeeded. It was almost as if Blaine was giving him permission to say no tomorrow. Almost as if… he knew Kurt knew. But how could he know Kurt knew? Blaine didn't know Rachel had called him. If he had, their date tonight probably would have been cancelled, because Blaine probably would have flown to New York to kill Rachel for spoiling the surprise. Well, maybe not kill her. Blaine wasn't that violent. But he did love a good surprise. He'd be devastated if he thought Kurt knew. He'd probably put a lot of effort into planning it, and he wouldn't be pleased if he knew Rachel had spoiled it. No. There was no way Blaine knew Kurt knew. It was just a coincidence.

"Where'd you go?" Blaine whispered into Kurt's ear before nipping lightly at his earlobe.

Kurt mentally shook the distracting thoughts from his mind. This was his last night in town, and he had the most adorably sexy man he'd ever met wrapped around him in bed. Thoughts could wait for later. "Why would I go anywhere, when there's nowhere I'd rather be right now than here?" Kurt replied, before pulling a grinning Blaine to him for a passionate kiss and round 3.


	4. Chapter 4

The vibration of Kurt's phone woke him from sleep. Trying not to disturb Blaine, who had fallen asleep in Kurt's arms, Kurt reached for the phone. He glanced at the screen and saw it was just his alarm. He hadn't intended to fall asleep – he'd actually set it in case he and Blaine got too caught up and lost track of time. Apparently, round 3 had exhausted them both. Either way, it was time for him to head home.

Kurt gently slid his other arm out from under Blaine. He gave into the temptation to slide his fingers across Blaine's forehead, swiping aside an errant curl that had slid out of gelled submission sometime during round 2. He leaned forward to press a kiss against Blaine's forehead.

"What time is it?" Blaine mumbled sleepily.

"12:45. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Kurt said in reply.

"Don't go," Blaine begged, his eyes still closed, one arm sliding around Kurt to pull him closer.

Kurt gently lifted Blaine's hand off his hip and pressed a kiss to his palm. "I have to go. I promised my dad I'd be home by 1."

Blaine's eyes slowly opened as he sighed. He didn't say anything; he just stared at Kurt with a sleep-filled but sorrowful expression.

"You're making this really hard for me," Kurt complained.

"That's not all that's hard," Blaine muttered, then rolled his own eyes. "Sorry, that was pathetic."

Kurt laughed, then moaned. "Why are you so cute?" he complained, lying back down to snuggle for a few more minutes.

The corner of Blaine's mouth slid up in a slumberous grin as he scooted closer.

"I'm giving us three minutes, then I have to get up and go," Kurt said. "For real."

Blaine grinned again as his eyes slid back closed. "I'll take it."

Kurt let his hands travel up and down Blaine's back, trying to memorize the feel of him to carry with him when he went back to New York. Over Blaine's shoulder, the second hand on the clock continued to tick its way slowly around. As it completed its third circle, Kurt squeezed Blaine tighter. "I don't want to go."

"But you have to," Blaine sighed. "I know."

Kurt leaned forward and gave Blaine a long, lingering kiss. "I'm glad we're back together," he said softly.

Blaine smiled as he opened his eyes again. "Me, too. I love you, Kurt."

"I love you too," Kurt said, squeezing Blaine close once more and trying to absorb as much of him as he could. Very reluctantly, he gave Blaine one final peck and slid out of the warm bed to collect his clothes. On the other side of the bed, Blaine rubbed his eyes and sat up.

"You don't have to walk me out," Kurt protested.

"I want to," Blaine said simply, dragging on a pair of loose shorts from his drawer.

Kurt sat on the bed to put on his shoes. Blaine rounded the mattress and held out a hand. Taking it, Kurt followed him down the stairs. At the front door, Blaine reached out and wrapped Kurt in his arms. They held each other in silence, neither wanting to let go.

Finally, Kurt pulled back. "I'll see you…" he started, then broke off when he realized the next word out of his mouth was about to be _tomorrow_, and Blaine wasn't supposed to know Kurt knew about that.

"The weekend after prom," Blaine finished, repeating the plan they had discussed earlier. "I'll fly out, and we can have our own private prom." He waggled his eyebrows lasciviously, but standing there with his sleep- and sex-mussed hair, his eyes still cloudy with slumber, in a pair of loose-fitting shorts, it just came off looking ridiculous.

Kurt laughed. "Privacy's in short supply at my place, but we'll try to figure something out."

"As long as I get to see you, I'll be happy."

Kurt met him halfway for one more kiss. "I love you," he repeated when they broke apart.

Blaine looked straight into his eyes, his gaze solemn. "I love you too, Kurt. No matter what. Remember that."

Kurt gave him a small smile and headed down the front walk to his car, pondering just what Blaine meant by that. At the car door, he glanced back at Blaine, leaning against the doorframe, and waved. Blaine remained in the doorway until Kurt's car rounded the corner and disappeared out of sight.

With a satisfied smile, Blaine headed back into his house. No matter what happened tomorrow, he had the love of his life back. Nothing could ruin that.


	5. Chapter 5

**[Author's note: For those of you who have seen the episode, the dialogue at the end will seem really familiar. I do not own that dialogue; it belongs to ****_Glee. _****I wanted to leave it out, but this chapter seemed awkwardly cut if I did. Also, thanks for reading it and leaving me such encouraging reviews! I'm glad you are enjoying it (though I'd also love to hear from you if you're not).]**

Kurt was doing the final round-up of his skin care products when his dad dropped by his room. "Is it okay with you if we leave a little early for the airport? I have to be back here to meet with someone this afternoon."

"Dad, it's Saturday. Who do you have to meet with on a Saturday afternoon?"

Burt shrugged. "It's just some… work thing… about… Congress stuff."

"Some work thing about Congress stuff?" Kurt repeated teasingly, one eyebrow raised.

"Look, it'll be boring, I'll spend the whole time trying not to fall asleep, and I probably won't remember anyone's names at the end. What else is there to know?"

Kurt shook his head. "Glad to see you're really dedicated to the people of Ohio, Dad."

"Hey, I care about the people of Ohio. I just don't care about stupid stuff like whose name gets to be biggest on the marquee when they dedicate the new park, which is what these meetings always turn out to be."

Kurt smiled affectionately at his dad. "I know you care. You've done really well, Dad. I'm proud of you."

"Right back at you, kiddo," he replied. "So can we leave in like 20 minutes?"

"Sure," Kurt said. "I'm ready whenever."

As his dad turned to head back downstairs, Kurt flopped back on his bed. This was it. Oh, his dad could concoct fake meetings all he wanted, but Kurt knew the truth. His dad might hate the meetings, but he always knew what they were about and told Kurt. This had to be the setup to get him to the surprise proposal.

Kurt had barely slept all night, agonizing over what to say. At about 5:15 in the morning, it had occurred to him that he had no idea what to wear. How did one dress for a surprise proposal? He had spent the next hour and a half going through every outfit he had brought home, finally settling on a nice blue suit. Fun, colorful, exciting, but also dressy enough to fit the occasion. He hoped.

Kurt stared at the ceiling, hoping some sort of cosmic sign would appear and point him in the right direction. Whether he had intended it or not, Blaine's words last night had only confused Kurt more. It almost seemed as if Blaine had been giving him permission to say no, because it wouldn't ruin their relationship either way. Which Kurt knew was impossible, because Blaine wouldn't be dropping hints like that. He was the king of surprises. Kurt was probably trying to read more into it than was actually there.

Kurt sighed. He loved Blaine. He did. He had been devastated when they broke up. Although he had given Blaine a hard time about it, Kurt had always known getting back together was inevitable. They were soulmates.

"I guess my answer is yes," Kurt muttered to himself.

But then again, being soulmates wasn't a guarantee. Pushing things too hard might just wreck them. He and Blaine deserved a little time to settle back into their relationship without adding unreasonable demands. They were young. They had plenty of time to get more serious later. Once Blaine was living in New York, things wouldn't be so hard and maybe they could discuss marriage. For now, they should just try to get through the next few months apart, without adding the complication of weddings.

He should say no. Or was not yet an option? Kurt pictured it in his head. "Will you marry me, Kurt?" Blaine would ask in some romantic, dramatic way, his puppy dog eyes radiating all the love in his heart.

"Thanks, but can you ask me again in a year?"

_Yeah, that was romantic._

But Blaine would understand. Now that they were back together, Blaine had been professing his love for Kurt non-stop for days. He wouldn't be put off by his refusal. After all, Kurt had been trying to deny their relationship since they broke up, and Blaine had never wavered. Sure, he had clearly gone to some trouble to set this all up, but he wouldn't hold a grudge if Kurt needed more time. Blaine was incapable of holding grudges.

Kurt's phone vibrated. "Enjoy today!" the text from Rachel read, with a smiley face, followed by a heart, followed by a kissy face.

"Easy for you to say," he muttered. "You're not the one who has to come up with an answer to a proposal."

He almost texted her back to ask for advice, but he knew what she'd say. She'd already said it yesterday. There was no one who could decide for him, as much as he might wish there was.

Kurt continued lying on his bed, contemplating his options, until his dad yelled up the stairs. "Kurt, you ready?"

"No," Kurt said to himself, but yelled back, "Coming!" Grabbing his packed bag off the floor, he did one final glance around the room before heading down the stairs.

At the bottom, Carol gave him a long hug and a kiss on the cheek. "It was so good having you home again for a few days. Have a nice… flight," she said, with a slight hesitation and a barely suppressed grin.

Kurt tried to smile back, but the growing panic in his stomach prevented much more than a maniacal grimace masquerading as a smile. He followed Burt out to the car and dropped his bag in the trunk.

They drove silently for a few minutes. As Kurt watched the familiar scenery go by, it wasn't hard to figure out where they were headed. He would have figured it out sooner, if he hadn't been so distracted by his thoughts. Of course Blaine would propose at Dalton. Blaine was a romantic. Sure, he claimed to be bad at romance, but Kurt knew better. Any guy who spent hours making bow tie promise rings out of gum wrappers had a pretty solid grasp on romantic gestures.

Kurt gazed out the window as he thought about that day in McKinley, when Blaine had pulled him aside to give him the ring. At the time, he'd been so sure of everything. He'd been ready to accept a proposal then. But he wasn't that same silly boy anymore; he'd grown and matured since moving to New York. He'd learned that love wasn't a guarantee of things working out; that long-distance relationships were harder than he ever possibly could have imagined; that happy endings weren't so certain.

"Look, I, uh, know we usually take the highway to the airport, but somebody told me about this shortcut through the back roads," Burt said as he took another turn toward Dalton.

"Dad, you can stop it. I know you're driving me to my surprise proposal," Kurt replied.

Amusement crept into his dad's tone. "I shoulda known you knew. You're the kid who planned his own surprise party for his tenth birthday."

"That Justin Timberlake piñata was a perfect likeness," Kurt defended.

"Well, I wouldn't know," Burt stated. He paused and glanced over at Kurt. "You okay? You look like I'm driving you to your execution."

"I can't tell. I mean, I really love Blaine. He makes me feel so connected, so safe and… loved, and I don't think I'm ever gonna find someone else who's gonna make me feel like that," Kurt confessed. "But we're both so young."

His dad made a noise of agreement and nodded before speaking again. "Your mom and I met when we were 22, and I asked her to marry me 6 months in. _We_ were just kids. Yeah, it was really hard at first. You know, you go in with all these fantasies about what your life together is gonna be like, nothing but laughing and dancing around in your underwear and cooking pasta and sex. Lot of sex." He grinned with a fond smile at the memories as they pulled up in front of Dalton. "It's hard being married though. It's hard enough being in your 20s," Burt added.

"Do you wish you waited?" Kurt wondered.

Burt's reply was immediate. "Not one second more. I wish I met her ten years earlier. I didn't know then that I was only gonna get so much time with her, you know, that she was gonna leave us so soon. I'd take 50 more years of late-night fights about me working late, or the gas bill, or her letting the milk go bad, for just ten more minutes, with her, next to me. We only get a few days when we come down to it, Kurt. You know that better than anyone."

Kurt remained in place, pondering his dad's advice as Burt came around the car. "Look, totally being honest here. Blaine asked me what I thought about this, and I gave him my opinion."

"Which was?" Kurt asked, hoping his dad could give him that final piece of wisdom to push him one way or another.

Kurt was disappointed when Burt replied, "My opinion doesn't matter here. You're your own man now. But giving you a choice means you gotta make one. So relax. Hear what the guy has to say. I mean, all you gotta do is say yes, no, or maybe."

Kurt was still so confused. "Is there another option?" he asked, as the sounds of music began emanating from the building behind him.

Burt laughed and gave Kurt a supportive smile as he turned toward the building and prepared to face the unknown.


	6. Chapter 6

As soon as Burt and Kurt pulled out of the driveway, Carol raced to the phone. "They just left," she said, too excited to waste time with greetings.

"Great, thanks, Carol," Blaine replied. "Burt's driving, right?" Otherwise he'd add a few extra minutes to the estimated time frame. Kurt always drove so cautiously.

"Yup, so they should be right on schedule," she said.

"Thanks again for agreeing to help out," Blaine answered. "I really appreciate it."

"It was my pleasure, Blaine. Good luck!"

Blaine hung up, then began a final walk-through of Dalton. "They're on their way," he announced as he passed through the entrance. Rachel and Mercedes, as planned, ran further down the hall to pass along the news to the other waiting choirs, while Santana headed toward the marching band to tell them to initiate their final tuning check. Blaine signaled to the Warblers, who nodded and moved into place, then headed toward the New Directions.

"Everybody's ready?" Blaine asked.

They nodded in agreement.

"You've got the ring?" he asked Sam.

Sam looked puzzled. "The ring? What ring?"

Blaine felt the panic rising. "You forgot the ring? Sam! Oh my God! I trusted you!"

"Oh, you probably mean this ring," Sam said, sliding a box out of his pocket.

Blaine reached out and punched him. "That wasn't funny."

"Sorry, buddy. You needed to loosen up. We've got this. It's timed to the millisecond. We've rehearsed a million times. Everything will be perfect. Trust me."

Blaine took a deep breath, let it out. "You're right. I trust you. All of you." He glanced around at the smiling faces of the New Directions, his friends, all shining with support and excitement. "Thanks again for agreeing to help. I know I asked a lot of you, but you all really pulled through for me. No matter how things go today, I want you to know how much I appreciate it. You've always been so supportive of me, and of Kurt, and our relationship, and it's more than anything I could have ever imagined."

"Aw," Tina cooed. "Group hug!"

They all jammed closer and enveloped Blaine in a massive hug, full of laughter and affection. Blaine couldn't help but join in the happiness. Who knew that transferring to McKinley to be with the man he loved would lead to such an amazing group of friends?

Sam patted Blaine on the back one more time before they all headed down the hall to get in position.

Rachel, Santana, and Mercedes all regathered in the front hall. "Haverbrook is all ready to go," Mercedes said. "And the rose petals are exactly where they should be."

"Vocal Adrenaline's in position and looking fabulous," Rachel confirmed.

"The marching band doesn't suck," Santana reported.

Blaine smiled. "Thanks, you guys. I really appreciate you all coming out here and being here for this."

"Please, do you think we would miss this?" Mercedes asked.

Just then, the first member in the marching band line turned around. "Car pulling up."

Rachel pulled out Blaine's phone and pressed send on the pre-typed message. _It's time_. From down the hall, Blaine heard the echoes of phone vibrations and the sounds of people getting into the final positions. As Sam had said, this was all timed down to the millisecond. There was no turning back now.

The marching band began their procession out the front door as they played the first measures of Blaine's chosen song. Blaine pulled his jacket straight as Rachel, Santana, and Mercedes did final adjustments to make sure everything looked perfect. Then, with a confident stride, Blaine joined in with the lyrics, headed toward the front of the school, and prepared to greet the love of his life.


	7. Chapter 7

**[Author's note: Again, there's going to be some dialogue in here that many of you, if you're anything like me, have practically memorized because you've seen the scene so many times. I hope you'll agree that it had to be there. I couldn't continue to write this story and not include this scene. However, I take absolutely zero credit for that speech. I could never write a proposal speech that amazing.]**

Kurt was so surprised to see the marching band greeting him, he almost missed the Warblers filtering out onto the second floor balcony. This was not at all what he had been expecting. He knew Blaine had a propensity for planning big public moments, but this was already beyond anything Kurt could have imagined.

Kurt froze on the front walk as he caught sight of Blaine. He was dressed in a gorgeous yellow suit with a navy sweater vest and of course, a signature Blaine bow tie. Though Kurt's brain was already overstimulated, some portion of it managed to register how well their outfits complemented each other, even without any coordination.

Blaine headed toward him, singing the opening lines of "All You Need Is Love." Kurt was impressed with his confidence. He seemed impressively self-assured for someone who was laying his heart on the line, publicly and in song, despite the fact that a similar gesture a few years ago had gone so horribly, horribly wrong. Kurt's heart swelled with love at Blaine's resilience, his certainty, his bravery.

Blaine continued singing, but inclined his head as he backed toward the doorway. Kurt followed him in and was shocked to see Santana, Mercedes, and Rachel standing in a line to greet him. They all smiled happily and reached out to hug him, while Blaine continued to serenade him. As he turned away from Rachel, Kurt stopped to admire the Warblers' choreography. He couldn't believe Blaine had reached out to include them, despite everything that had happened. That had been a big step.

Blaine continued through to the next room and Kurt followed. Blaine paused again as the New Directions came streaming toward them, joining in the chorus. The hugs continued as Sam, Tina, and Artie all greeted him, with the Warblers filing in behind. The New Directions and the Warblers singing in the same room? Kurt couldn't believe Blaine had gone through all this trouble to convince them to set aside their differences and work together. Sing together. Dance together!

As Kurt continued to marvel at the sights around him, Rachel, Santana, and Mercedes stepped up behind him. Rachel took his hands and led him toward… holy cow, were those members of Vocal Adrenaline coming forward to take his hand? How had Blaine done this?

He was so distracted with awe, he didn't notice Blaine ducking down a side hallway while he and Rachel stepped into the next room. Kurt's jaw dropped as he saw the entire Vocal Adrenaline team happily dancing and singing along. Rachel grinned at his surprised expression and squeezed him in delight before continuing to lead him through the halls.

As they approached the staircase where it had all begun, Kurt's head felt like it was about to explode, in the best possible way. The glee club from the Haverford School for the Deaf lined the staircase, joining in the song. Kurt blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating, but they remained in place. Kurt didn't even think there were words to describe how impressed and moved he was by the amount of effort Blaine had put in.

Rachel stopped at the top of the stairs and gave Kurt one final hug before motioning to the staircase. Slowly, Kurt made his way down, just as he had that magical day just a few short years earlier. The Warblers and Vocal Adrenaline filed in as rose petals were thrown from the top of the staircase, filling the air with fragrant red confetti.

Kurt's shocked expression turned to a grin and a laugh of disbelief as Blaine and the New Directions filed in, with Blaine belting out, "He loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah." The love in his eyes was clear, even from across the room. Kurt took in the smiling faces of the crowd, the 4 most competitive show choirs in all of Ohio, singing together in unity because of Blaine. He paused briefly on his dad's face, full of support and acceptance, as it always was. Kurt knew Burt would support him no matter what his answer was today.

Feeling like he had entered another dimension, or like he was having the best dream of his entire life, Kurt had trouble focusing when the song ended and Blaine started to speak. "We met right here," Blaine announced to the assembled crowd. "I took this man's hand, and we ran down that hallway. And for those of you that know me know I'm not in the habit of taking people's hands I've never met before, but I think that my soul knew something that my body and my mind didn't know yet."

Blaine returned his focus to Kurt, his face and his voice solemn and steady. "It knew that our hands were meant to hold each other, fearlessly and forever, which is why it's never really felt like I've been getting to know you, it always felt like I was remembering you from something. As if in every lifetime that you and I have ever lived, we've chosen to come back and find each other and fall in love all over again, over and over, for all eternity. And I just feel so lucky that I found you so soon in this lifetime, because all I want to do, all I've ever wanted to do, is spend my life loving you."

Kurt took a deep breath, his eyes filling with tears, as Blaine reached back and got a ring box from Sam. As he knelt on the stairs, he asked, "So, Kurt Hummel, my amazing friend, my one true love, will you marry me?"

Kurt stared down at the man he loved, kneeling before him in the place they had first met, a beautiful ring held in his hands. He forgot about all the other people in the room. He forgot about his worries, his doubts, his mental arguments back and forth. He forgot about everything except the only word he could say, the only word that was in his heart, the only answer he ever could have given. How could he have doubted? It was simple. "Yeah," he whispered, his voice coming out breathy, his head nodding without any conscious decision to move it. "Yeah," he repeated.

A huge smile spread across Blaine's face as he lunged forward to kiss Kurt. His hand cupped the back of Kurt's neck, and Kurt's arm wrapped around Blaine's shoulders of its own accord. Their lips met in a kiss full of joy and happiness and hope. They held on tightly as the room filled with applause and cheers, as a group of rivaling competitors joined together to celebrate a happy moment. Even when Blaine pulled back to slide the ring on Kurt's finger, Kurt left his hand on Blaine's hip. He wasn't ready to let go of Blaine or this moment, not yet. Blaine seemed to share that feeling, because as soon as the ring slid on his finger (a perfect fit, though Kurt would expect nothing less of a man whose planning skills were able to organize 4 show choirs into one number), Blaine reached out and grabbed him in a tight hug.

Kurt hugged his new fiancé closer and tried to force his overwhelmed brain to memorize as many details as it could of this perfect moment. Instead, it seemed focused on just one word: fiancé. Kurt Hummel had a fiancé.


	8. Chapter 8

The next half hour passed in something of a blur. Kurt wasn't sure how long he and Blaine stood on the stairs, just holding each other. It somehow simultaneously felt both like forever and not long enough. At some point, Blaine had shifted slightly away, just enough to address the gathered crowd and thank them. Kurt was pretty sure he had said something too, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember what. After that, the crowd had dissipated. Most of the New Directions had stuck around a little longer to offer Blaine and Kurt congratulatory hugs, but they too soon left to get back to their usual Saturday evening plans.

Eventually, it was just Santana, Mercedes, Rachel, and Burt left. Burt hung back along the edge of the room while Mercedes and Rachel cooed over the ring. Even Santana had managed a, "Not bad, Anderson," which was high praise coming from her. It wasn't until the girls had left that Burt had approached.

"I guess congratulations are in order," he said simply.

"Dad…" Kurt started.

For the first time since the post-proposal kiss, Blaine let his hand drop from Kurt's back. Stepping out of Kurt's hold, he squeezed Kurt's hand. "I'm going to go collect a few things I stored down the hall. I'll be back in a few minutes."

They watched him head down the hallway toward the senior commons. "He's always been perceptive," Burt observed.

Kurt tried to read the expression on his dad's face. "Dad, are you okay with this? I know we're young…"

Burt shook his head, and Kurt's heart fell. His dad had always been supportive. Kurt had never seen his dad upset with him. Maybe that's why he couldn't read his expression, because it was one he'd never seen before.

"Look, Dad, I know this probably isn't how you pictured my life, but Blaine is a good guy and I really love him, and I think…" Kurt started to explain, his words racing together.

Burt cut him off by holding up a hand. "Kurt, I'm not shaking my head because I disapprove. I'm shaking my head because you shouldn't even have to ask. You're right. I did have a picture in my head of how your life would go. When I first found out your mom was pregnant with you, I started imagining being a father, playing catch with you in the yard, coaching your t-ball team, taking you to your first football game. I imagined giving you a pep talk about respecting girls before your first date and teaching you how to fix cars and training you to work alongside me in the garage, so you could take over the business. I had it all planned out. Your mother used to laugh at me, telling me you couldn't plan a life like that, but I was so set on it.

"Then you were born, and let me tell you something, Kurt, that first moment you hold your child in your arms, everything just fades away. All those pictures just disappear, because suddenly you're not talking about some abstract little kid anymore, you're talking about this little baby, lying right here in your arms, looking up at you with big eyes, their whole future ahead of them. And you don't want to limit that future with your silly dreams or your narrow expectations. You want them to have everything they could ever want, everything the world could ever give them.

"Nothing about being your dad has been how I predicted or pictured it back when your mom was pregnant. That whole sports thing certainly didn't work out, and you couldn't have been less interested in cars. But not one day has gone by that I've disapproved of your choices or wished for anything else. The only thing I want you to do with your life is be happy. I've raised you for 19 years, kid. I can tell you're happy, so I'm happy."

Kurt threw himself into his dad's arms. "I love you, Dad."

"Love you too, kid."

Kurt and Burt pulled apart as Blaine came back down the hall, carrying his phone and his car keys. Burt held out a hand to him. "You've been like family for years, but I guess it's official now. Welcome to the family, son. And good job on this whole thing today."

Blaine smiled and shook Burt's hand, then stepped closer and gave him a quick one-armed hug. "Thank you, sir."

"You're marrying my son," Burt replied. "I think you can at least call me Burt now."

Blaine's smile grew wider. "Burt, then."

Burt nodded, then reached up to adjust his cap. "Alright then, I guess I'll be taking off. The stuff's in your trunk, Anderson." He turned to Kurt. "Blaine's got the flight confirmation stuff, so you can pick up the boarding pass at the airport tomorrow. Have a good trip back."

"Bye, Dad," Kurt said, leaning forward to give him a quick hug. It wasn't until his father was almost out of the room that he called out, "Wait, tomorrow?"

"Blaine'll explain," Burt shouted back over his shoulder, with a final wave.

Kurt turned to Blaine, his brow furrowed in confusion. "What did he mean, tomorrow? My flight was supposed to be this afternoon." He glanced down at Blaine's phone to check the time. "In a few hours."

Blaine slid his hand into Kurt's and started leading him toward the back entrance of the school. "Okay, don't be mad, but when we were planning this whole thing, your dad offered to move your flight back to tomorrow. We talked with Rachel, who checked your calendar at the apartment and said it was clear for Sunday, so we took a chance and moved it. Your dad thought you might like an extra day here, so we could spend a little time together after this. Plus, this way you can fly back with Rachel and Santana tomorrow."

"What if I had said no?" Kurt asked, out of curiosity.

"We figured you wouldn't want to be alone tonight if that had happened, so he'd keep you company. It just seemed like the right decision either way. I know you like to be in charge of your own life, but please don't be mad. I really want to spend some extra time with you, to celebrate," Blaine explained.

Kurt stopped and gave Blaine a skeptical look. "You pulled the 4 best show choirs in Ohio together, choreographed an entire musical number, wrote an amazing proposal speech, bought me a beautiful ring, and still somehow managed to plan time for us to celebrate or for me to be with my dad, and you think I'm going to be mad at you?"

Blaine shrugged. "I haven't been too sure about any of your responses today. You can be pretty unpredictable."

Kurt smiled. "You could have fooled me. You seemed pretty confident."

Blaine gave him a little grin. "It was an act. Part of the reason I wore yellow was so it would blend in if I accidentally peed in my pants before you got here."

Kurt laughed out loud. "You're disgusting, and I don't think I believe you," he said.

"It's true. It was a tiny fraction of the reason, but still part of it."

Kurt rolled his eyes as they resumed their walk toward the exit. "So, Mr. Thought-Of-Everything-Including-Urine-Stains, what's the plan now?"

Blaine's eyes twinkled. "You'll see."


	9. Chapter 9

Kurt climbed out of the car at Blaine's house and grabbed his suitcase from the trunk, where his dad had stowed it before heading into Dalton to watch the proposal. "I can't believe you even choreographed my dad's movements with the suitcase," Kurt commented.

"Not only that, we had a contingency plan involving Rachel getting the suitcase from the car and driving it back to your house if you said no. We figured you wouldn't notice it was missing right away," Blaine replied, leading Kurt up the walk to the front door.

Kurt shook his head in awe. "You really did think of everything, didn't you?" he said, waiting while Blaine unlocked the front door. "Did you also force your parents to go out of town?"

Blaine laughed. "No, that actually was a happy coincidence. They were supposed to leave today anyway and come back on Monday, but then they decided yesterday to leave a day early, which is why we had all that privacy last night."

Wow, had that really been just last night? It felt like another lifetime, Kurt mused. Then, fully grasping the implications of his suitcase being in Blaine's car, and now at Blaine's house, he gasped. "Hold on. How'd you explain me spending the night here to my dad?"

Blaine shrugged. "When he offered to push the ticket back a day, I asked if you could stay here with me and offered to bring you to the airport tomorrow. He said okay."

"Oh my God, you basically asked my dad if it was okay if we had sex?"

Blaine turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open. "It wasn't the most awkward conversation I've ever had with him," he replied, thinking back to that conversation years ago when he had convinced Burt to talk about safe sex with Kurt. Back then, he'd hardly even known Burt, but they'd made it through that okay. "Plus, your dad's a pretty reasonable guy. I think he's figured out we've spent the night together before and that it was kind of silly to object if we were engaged."

Kurt barely registered the second half of Blaine's explanation, because he had just stepped into the house. The front hallway was filled with rose petals, which led in a trail toward the kitchen. Blaine smiled at the look on Kurt's face. "Give me a thirty second head-start, okay?" he said as he darted toward the kitchen.

Kurt nodded while he spun slowly, taking in the petals everywhere. They carpeted the hallway down to the kitchen, and a second trail he hadn't noticed before also led up the stairs, presumably to Blaine's room. The large mirror on the wall reflected the colors, magnifying the effect.

"Okay, all set," Blaine yelled from the kitchen.

Kurt slowly made his way down the hall, then stepped into the kitchen and gasped again. The small kitchen table had been covered with a beautiful white tablecloth. A single red rose sat in a vase in the center, next to a beautiful candlestick and elegant place settings. It was the classic romantic meal set-up.

"The only thing that's missing is those fancy silver platters," Kurt muttered, half to himself.

"Yeah, apparently they don't actually do those," Blaine answered. "But we do have take-out containers from Breadsticks." He pointed to the bag on the counter while he reached into the fridge.

Kurt walked over to take out the food and was shocked to feel heat emanating from the containers. "Okay, the rest of it, I assume you set up before you left. But how could you possibly have gotten hot food here when you were with me the whole time? I know you didn't just pull it out of the microwave."

Blaine shut the fridge. "I don't know if you noticed how quickly Sam took off. I called in the order yesterday, gave Sam a copy of the house key, and he ran and picked it up and dropped it by."

Kurt set the containers on the table and dropped into a chair. "I thought you weren't sure of my answer."

"I wasn't," Blaine said. "If you'd said no, Sam and I would be miserably eating this romantic meal together, followed by some very sad rose petal clean-up. This is much better."

Kurt smiled at him as he approached the table. "I agree."

Blaine held up a bottle. "Champagne?" he asked.

Kurt laughed. "Of course you have champagne. I won't even ask how you got it." He held out his glass.

"Good, because I won't tell you," Blaine replied with a wink. He filled his own glass, then held it up. "Here's to us and the amazing life we're going to have."

"I'll drink to that," Kurt said, tapping his glass against Blaine's.


	10. Chapter 10

[**Author's note: I think this is going to be the final chapter, for real this time, unless someone has some suggestions for where to go further. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed!**]

Kurt couldn't remember ever being happier in his life. He was curled up against Blaine, his head resting on Blaine's shoulder, his newly ringed finger lying over Blaine's heart. As Kurt had expected, when they had made it up to Blaine's room, the room and bed had been covered with even more rose petals. Kurt was pretty sure some of them were permanently stuck to parts of his anatomy, but he didn't care.

Blaine's eyes were closed, but his thumb was still rubbing lazy circles where it rested against Kurt's shoulder. "I should help you clean up some of these rose petals," Kurt murmured.

"No, you shouldn't," Blaine replied, locking his arms around Kurt. "You should stay right here. I don't want to waste our time together. I'll clean them up tomorrow after you leave."

Kurt wanted to protest, to tell Blaine he had already done enough, but Blaine's arms were so comfortable and warm around him. He didn't actually want to leave them either. "Did I say thank you yet for today?" Kurt whispered.

Blaine's lips curled up slightly as his eyes slowly opened. "I should thank you too for saying yes."

Kurt lifted his head and looked down at Blaine. "I'm serious, Blaine. Today was… incredible. Even in my wildest dreams, I couldn't have imagined a more perfect proposal. I can't believe how much effort you must have gone through to make this day the most amazing day ever. Thank you."

"The results were worth the effort," Blaine answered with a sleepy smile. "I'm just glad I could surprise you."

Perhaps it was the late hour and the fact that Kurt had barely slept the previous night. Perhaps it was the fact that they were about to embark on a new life together, and it seemed wrong to do so on a foundation built on a falsehood, as silly and insignificant as that falsehood may be. Perhaps it was just the fact that Kurt had always been able to tell Blaine anything, and their relationship had always been predicated on total honesty. For whatever reason, Kurt found himself sitting up and blurting out, "It wasn't a surprise. I mean, it was in that I had no idea what to expect exactly. Even knowing it was happening couldn't prepare me for that. But… Rachel told me you were planning on proposing yesterday."

"I know," Blaine said simply.

Kurt was ready to jump to Rachel's defense and had lined up an argument, so he found himself quickly backtracking mentally. "What do you mean, you know?"

Blaine pushed himself up to lean against the headboard. "First of all, I'm surprised you didn't find out earlier, given the amount of people who were involved in planning this. Sure, I swore them all to secrecy, but with that many people, leaks are bound to happen, so it really was probably just a matter of time. Second of all, Rachel only told you because I asked her to."

"What?" Kurt knew his voice was reaching octaves only dogs could hear, but he was in a state of disbelief. "Why would you sabotage your own surprise?"

Blaine sighed and prepared to explain. "Because I love you, Kurt." Blaine didn't think it was possible, but Kurt's eyebrows rose even higher on his face in confusion. He was almost tempted to stop talking and force Kurt to talk again, just to see how much higher his voice could actually get, but then decided against it. The sooner he explained, the sooner he could get Kurt back to sleepily cuddling in his arms.

"Grand, extravagant romantic gestures are great, but they can be really embarrassing for everyone involved if both people aren't on the same page. Which is why I haven't gone in a Gap in several years." Blaine wondered if Kurt was aware that he had reached out and laid his hand over Blaine's, gently stroking it as if trying to soothe the embarrassment three years later. "I didn't want the same thing to happen to us. I wanted to make sure you knew what you were getting into. I know how much you like to plan.

"Plus, public proposals add a layer of pressure, and I didn't want you feeling pressured to say yes just because you didn't want to hurt my feelings or embarrass me. I didn't want to blindside you or make you uncomfortable by surprising you with a proposal in front of half the state of Ohio just days after we got back together. I knew if Rachel told you it was coming, without actually giving you any details, you'd be smart enough to figure out the set-up. If you were completely opposed to the idea, you'd convince your dad not to bring you or you'd call me and yell at me not to go through with it. Since you didn't, I assumed you were at least open to the possibility of saying yes."

Kurt bit his lower lip in thought. "Hm. In all of my agonizing yesterday and last night, not coming today didn't even occur to me."

Blaine smiled and flipped his hand over to intertwine their fingers. "I'm glad to hear it."

Kurt took a deep breath to collect his thoughts. "So all that stuff you kept repeating last night about loving me no matter what happened really was your attempt at subtly sending me a message?"

Blaine nodded.

"So… in addition to the many other wonderful things you did for me today, you also ruined your own surprise just so I would be comfortable. So I could have time to think and prepare."

Blaine nodded again.

"God, I love you," Kurt said, lunging forward to cover Blaine's mouth with his own. Blaine's lips curled up under his in a quick smile before he slid his arms around Kurt's hips and pulled his legs until they straddled his. Kurt ran his fingers into Blaine's hair and slightly adjusted the angle of the kiss, plunging his tongue more deeply into Blaine's mouth. Despite having been on the verge of sleep just minutes ago, Blaine seemed very energetic and enthusiastic. They both knew the best ways to drive each other wild quickly, so it wasn't long before they once again found themselves curled up together, sweaty but satisfied.

As their rapidly beating hearts resumed a normal pace, they lay in comfortable silence. This time, it was Blaine who cuddled up next to Kurt, his head fitting perfectly against Kurt's shoulder. Kurt slowly ran his hand up and down Blaine's back until his breaths slowed into the deep, even breathing of sleep. Then, pressing a kiss against Blaine's forehead, he carefully stretched his arm to turn off the light. As he drifted off to sleep in his fiancé's arms, Kurt was filled with the peaceful certainty that he was exactly where he belonged. Forever.


End file.
